A 5 day and 4 night cruise to the Bahamas sounds like a dream for most us, but when you get asked to sing on that cruise, it’s more than a dream come true. So when Wretha Webb of the band Swiftwater got that call from Evans Productions, she was ecstatic. She and her husband Al were invited on the cruise that will feature Classic Country and Bluegrass music, to which they will be primarily singing duets together.

Wretha has been in love with music throughout her life, and has been Swiftwater for about 21 years. Aside from her and Al, the members have changed over the years, but the sweet Swiftwater sound remains the same. Wretha plays the guitar, the upright bass and does vocals while Al plays guitar, some mandolin, fiddle and does much of the vocals as well. The other two members are Larry Strickland, who plays the bass and sings harmonies, and Carlon Dilmore who plays mandolin, guitar, and vocals. Wretha’s 9 year old granddaughter, Bella Des Rosier can sometimes be found singing with them as well, as they show her the ropes.

Gospel music is their long-time favorite, but they also enjoy classic country and bluegrass. “Music has a way of just making you forget your troubles for a moment. It can lift you up, and make the tough days a little easier to deal with”, explains Wretha when I asked her about what music means to her. She continued, “our music is also our ministry, because we get to leave the audience with something that God brings to them through the song”.

You can often find them bringing a church auditorium to life with their melodies, or moving the crowds of festivals with their sounds. “It is a lot of work, but the music just lifts us up. We hope it does the same for other people too. Music is so powerful, so we choose the music very carefully because we want the words to mean something. The songs have to mean something to us.” She spoke of the music as though it were a treasure, and I believe it is exactly that to each of the members. A treasure they get to share with all who hear them. “The most important thing to us is God. We just want to be where he wants us to be and do what he wants us to do. “

You can find Swiftwater playing at our upcoming Goat Day festivities from 12 – 3. They will be joined by Wretha’s brother, Joel, and are excited to be a part of this community event. They have a Facebook page: Swiftwater or you can reach them for booking on their webpage swiftwater.us or by cell phone (850) 272-6386.

We wish Wretha and Al the best wishes as they venture out for their first cruise, as they represent their faith, their art, and Calhoun County for all that are blessed to hear them. If you are interested in joining them on the cruise, just contact Wretha or Al at the number listed above for information.